Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Ten Ways to Discover Sarah MacLean!

by Anna Campbell

This year, one of the big events in romancelandia was the adult romance debut of Sarah MacLean. Her first book for Avon, NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, was everybody's favorite when it hit the shelves.

I read it when I was in New York last July and was wowed by Sarah's ability to combine deep emotion with sparkling comedy. And when I was lucky enough to meet Sarah at RWA Nationals in Orlando, I realized she was just the uproarious...ahem, DIGNIFIED kind of guest who would appreciate the elegant appointments here in the lair and I invited her here to sip tea with our pinkies extended!

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it until I've had my second margarita!

I'm really excited - Sarah's second book TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD (seriously, I think Sarah would give Lainey a run when it comes to the poetry stakes!) is out this month and I can't wait to read it. Here's the blurb:

Since being named “London’s Lord to Land” by a popular ladies’ magazine, Nicholas St. John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton. So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps—only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he’s ever met!

The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though she is used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother’s birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.

But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless and foolish…like falling madly, passionately in love.

Sarah, a big warm welcome to the Bandit lair. Here, have a cabana boy! Oops, I meant have a margarita!

Mmmm. I love cabana boys . . . I mean “margaritas.” I should have known that you Banditas had code words for everything! What a warm welcome—I’m so so so excited to be here!

I loved your debut NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE so I’m desperate to read your latest TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD. Can you tell us about this new story?

Thank you, Anna! You know that I’m a total fangirl of yours, so it makes me all jittery when you say nice things about NINE RULES!

(Anna blushes in a becomingly Regency fashion)

TEN WAYS is the story of Lord Nicholas St. John (twin brother to the hero of Nine) who is totally blindsided when a London ladies’ magazine names him one of London’s Lords to Land.

He does what any good, red-blooded male would do in the situation. He flees. To Yorkshire, where, unfortunately, he lands himself in a household entirely populated by females. The mistress of the house, Lady Isabel Townsend, has too many secrets and too little money . . . and so begins our tale.

NINE RULES was phenomenally successful, hitting both the New York Times and the USA Today lists and receiving wide critical acclaim. Do you have any theories why your first adult romance struck such a chord with readers?

I’m still pinching myself over the incredible response to NINE RULES . . . it was completely unexpected.

I actually have two theories for why NINE RULES struck such a chord: First, I think there’s something about Callie (the heroine of NINE) that we can all connect with. After a lifetime of being too plain, too plump, too meek and biddable, she says, “Hang it all. I refuse to live like this any longer.” Who hasn’t wanted to do that (and score a hot marquess in the process!)?

She takes the leap that so many of us never have the courage to take—I sure don’t!

Theory number two? Pure. Dumb. Luck.

Nah, I don't think luck had much to do with it. You wrote two really great characters in Callie and Ralston! You also write young adult romance with a Regency setting. Is the Sarah MacLean who wrote THE SEASON different from the Sarah MacLean who wrote NINE RULES? Are you planning more young adult stories? Are there things you can do in young adult that you can’t do in your adult romantic fiction? Snicker, we know some of the things you can do in the adult stuff you can’t do in the YA!

This question is making me nervous. I’m wondering if maybe The YA Sarah MacLean and the romance Sarah MacLean should be different—I’d like to say that YA Sarah MacLean hangs out with the cast of Glee and texts Taylor Lautner all the time . . . but it’s just not true. She’s the same as romance Sarah MacLean, who is a bit of a cheeseball and addicted to Twitter and cupcakes and watches way too much reality TV and can recite whole scenes from The West Wing and is secretly in love with Anthony Bourdain in a borderline stalkerish kind of way (it all started with him naked, holding a well-placed leg of lamb. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a man with meat. *a-hem*

Note to self: *Try* to behave. This is a classy joint. They have cabana boys.

Anna's note to Sarah: Boy, have we got you hoodwinked!

Anna's second note to self: Now I'm pedalling Lamb Porn! Oy, what has become of me?

Anywho . . . There are definitely things that are OK in YA and not in Romance or vice versa – obviously there’s the biggie . . . a 16-page naughty bit is not going to fly in YA . . . but there’s also a keen awareness of readership. Teens are more willing to take risks as readers—they’re not locked into one or two genres as we are as older readers—which is why there is such an incredible variety of stories in the YA section of the bookstore. Off the top of my head . . . first person narratives, novels in verse and unhappy endings are things that teens are much more open to than adults.

I love YA, and writing for teens, so you’ll definitely see more books from me there.

What's coming up next?

In April of 2011, I close out the St. John siblings trilogy with the story of Nick and Ralston’s half-sister, Juliana, inELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE’S HEART.. . and then no more long, numbered, rhyming titles (which just might be the hardest part of writing these books)! Juliana’s smart mouth gets her into trouble with a very arrogant, very disdainful duke, and we get to watch as the sparks fly. It was very fun to write!

In Autumn 2011, I start a new series with Avon . . . my Fallen Angels series. It’s still historical, still set in the same world as NINE, TEN and ELEVEN. . . but a new batch of characters who I am very very excited to share with the world. I’d say more, but my editor has sworn me to secrecy!

Can you tell us about your writing journey?

I’ve wanted to write romance for as long as I can remember. Aside from a short time when I wanted to be a film director, this is really my dream job.

It did take me a half-a-dozen false starts and a kick in the pants from a great friend to finally set pen to paper and write my first full book, THE SEASON . . . and then, it was only a matter of days before I started working on NINE RULES . . . Callie popped into my head and that was that.

I have been incredibly lucky on the romance side of things . . . I’ve dreamed of publishing with Avon forever, and when my agent called me with the offer for NINE, TEN and ELEVEN on November 21 2008, it was the best day of my life.

Wow, Sarah, you sold your first completed manuscript? That's fantastic! Congratulations! Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?

When you read a book that comes from passion for the story and pleasure in the experience, it’s so obvious! Forget about what everyone is saying about market trends and who buys what and who reads what and what sells and what doesn’t and what readers want. Write the book you want to read.

Sarah, can you give us a question to start the conversation ball rolling?

So, I confessed some of my secret (not anymore!) weaknesses above . . . The West Wing and cupcakes and reality TV and Twitter and Anthony Bourdain . . . what are your secret weaknesses? The things that suck up your time and that you’re kind of afraid to admit to liking so very much?Hey, guys, get commenting. Sarah has very generously offered TWO prizes today - each winner gets their choice of a signed copy of either NINE RULES or TEN WAYS and a signed copy of THE SEASON. Good luck!

Well a guilty pleasure for me is when I run across a marathon of some show like say....Bully Beatdown...or Billy The Exterminator and I end up blowing an entire Sunday on these shows that I normally wouldn't watch. :) Addiction to chocolate and romance novels is NOT a bad thing...EVER. Looking forward to the new release!!

Thanks for the great interview havent had the pleasure yet of reading your books but look forward to it, now written in my little black book ;0 of books to read .. I love the sound ofIrish men , ( the way they talk loved Leap year ) Books, sour worms, and true blood, vampire diaries and anything with vamps or paranormal. and a good love story !!! Oh and dont forget face book, Im hooked, line and sinker !!! Thanks :)

Ha ha, Katrina, maybe you and I should both join Facebook anonymous. Hold on, I don't want to be anonymous there - I want to talk to everyone! That's the problem. Must go back to the drawing book on that idea... Love your list of secret vices!

I like playing video games and they are a total time suck. I like to play the ones you have to think about, word games and such. I've often heard that these kinds of things are good to promote good brain health. Since I've had some family members with alzheimers I'm all for keeping my mind active.

Hi Sarah! Welcome to the Lair! I'm the Bandita with a secret identity -- Kirsten, also known as Inara (author of Delcroix Academy: The Candidates, a YA urban fantasy).

My guilty pleasure? Twitter. I think I tweeted a hundred times today. Okay, not quite that much. But it was still ridiculous. I'm addicted to the pleasure of sending something into the world and having it IMMEDIATELY receive a response. So delightful. Unlike publishing, you know? Where you might get a response right away and you might get it...in a year.

So, anyway, congratulations on your success -- I haven't read 9 Rules but did love The Season. I hope you keep writing YA and I can't wait to read 9 10 and 11!

Kirsten, lovely to see you outing yourself. By the way, I know I've told you before, but I think Inara is SUCH a pretty name. Trying to work out how I can have a Latvian heroine in one of my books so I can use it.

Tam, it's not sad at all! I LOVE research books. Especially big ones with lots of gorgeous pictures. I've got the Country Life Regency Houses one on the bedside table at the moment. It bruises my tum when I read it in bed but it's very beautiful! Thanks for swinging by!

The list of weaknesses is far too long to write...lol...but my secret weakness is blogging, reading it mostly and sometimes writing it but I spend way too much time on here reading all these great posts, discovering new authors and leaving comments......often the house work is left until the last minute and the occasional burnt dinner occurs but I just cant seem to stay away!!!!!Thanks Anna and Sarah for a great post ♥

Late night TV. I'm an absolute sucker for it and then I spend the days like a zombie, craving sleep. I also love Cheezels (the Aussie's will know what I mean), books on French history, Spencer & Rutherford handbags and Matryoshka dolls.

Hi there Sarah. I can't wait to get my copy of Ten. I have been dying to read it ever since I read Nine Rules.As for my secret weakness I would say its books, Jane Austen movies, and anything Titanic. I think I have seen every movie and every tv special ever mad about it. I just can't get enough. I have been fascinated with it since I was littlle.

Danielle, I ADORE Spencer and Rutherford handbags. To celebrate my second contract, I shouted myself a real princess bag. I just adore it to death! Laughed at Cheezels! I bet our American friends have no idea what you're talking about. Actually one of my weaknesses - I doubt it's a secret - is Smith's barbecue chips!!!! YUM!

Romance books and romance blogs - not that I'm ashamed, but they do suck a great deal of time! Good luck with your new release Sarah - I've heard great things about this series and I am definitely planning on reading it.

Danielle, I too have been fascinated by the Titanic. Do you know there's a hotel in Alnwick in Northumberland in England which has exactly the same decor - they bought the stuff off the Olympic when it was scrapped and it and the Titanic were sister ships. They also have a stack of memorabilia - it's fascinating. When we were there, we tried to book for dinner in the dining room which is the Titanic room. On special dates, they hold dinners which duplicate the menu too. Would love to be there for that one day!

Snork! You gals had me giggling so much I nearly burned dinner. A very warm welcome to the lair, Sarah! Thank you for hosting Sarah, Anna.

Sarah, Anna and I have spent quite a bit of time raving to each other over Nine Rules. Can't wait for Ten Ways! And I bet you can't wait to have shorter titles, too! However, they are fab titles because right there, you have the hook, whereas many historicals end up sounding interchangeable these days, sadly!

Had to laugh at the strategically placed lamb leg! Reminds me of that ad we used to have where the girl picks a lamb dinner over a date with Tom Cruise. Now I get the attraction:)

Hi Anna and Sarah! Congratulations on the release of TEN WAYS, Sarah! I've read so many great things about both your books, am so looking forward to reading them!

As for my weaknesses, how long have we got, lol, well the only ones I'll admit to are Clive Owen, chocolate and watching reruns of Battlestar Galactica. Preferably all three at once and I wouldn't complain if the chocolate and Clive were combined!

I soo loved Nine Rules and am soo looking forward to Ten Ways and Lord Nicholas's story I have to put my order in this week so it won't be long and I wil have it I also have The Season on the TBR pile after reading Nine Rules I had to have that one as well. Must move it up the list.

As for secrets I am addicted to bejewelled blitz and farmville on facebook LOL I must have my fix of those daily or I am not a happy chappy LOL, and of course chocolate especially Tim Tams and I couldn't do without my reading.

Secret weaknesses... dark chocolate, M&Ms cookies (from Safeway in a pinch but United Markets has the best), Twitter, Facebook, and books, especially books with my favorite cover models on them (yes, I have a collection!). Really big secret weakness... I listen to Radio Disney and news radio when I drive so I'm either singing along to Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift or listening to John Madden yak about sports.

Actually, as much as I like Nick, I really can't wait for Juliana's story. Has she mellowed out since NINE RULES?

Can I get a cabana boy who looks like Paul Marron or Jed Hill and a vodka martini?

Reading, books, raspberry chocolate and Scottish Highlanders in kilts. :)Love them darn skirts. I also loved Nine Rules. Will definitely be reading Ten. Congrats on your release.I don't know that I'll ever look at Anthony Bourdain the same way again. lol lol Or a Leg of Lamb. lolCarol L.Lucky4750@aol.com

Fun blog, Anna and Sarah! I love your book covers, Sarah, and the stories sound terrific so it's a trip to the shops to order copies! My weakness - books! Chocolate! Chips! And too much time on the Internet in the name of "research"!

I'm curious about the story behind that picture of Anthony - was he posing for some sort of calendar? Naked Chefs 2010? Anyway, it's certainly a substantial item from the butcher's shop he's holding.

Hi Anna and Sarah, what a fun blog! Sarah, I love your titles and gorgeous covers. I enjoyed reading Nine Ways and am looking forward to Ten Ways. I have too many secret weaknesses than are good for me but I will confess to an addiction to Glee. Glee watched while eating pizza even better.

Hi Sarah! Congrats on the new release! I've heard so many great things about both books and I can't wait to read them. I now have Nine Rules and Ten Ways in my hot little hands (I waited so I could read them together) and am looking forward to a reading marathon very soon. In fact, it's supposed to be cold and rainy today. After voting, I just may snuggle up with your books and have some fun! :)

Secret weaknesses? Oh yeah, I have a few of those.

Chocolate! I managed to get through Halloween without having to open the mini peanut butter cups (Yay!) and one bag of the mini Hershey Bars (Double Yay!).

Books! (Though I suppose that's not much of a secret.)

Reality TV! Yep, I'm addicted. Survivor, Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol (though I can't imagine it w/out Simon), The Bachelor/Bachelorette.

Fabulous romance blogs...like Romance Bandits! Total time suck but I don't care! *g*

Totally with you on The West Wing. Loved that show! This fall's secret television pleasure: Hawaii Five-0 with the deliciously yummy Alex O'Laughlin!

Wow, what a great interview. Thanks, Anna, for bringing Sarah -- loved the name spelled that way, btw -- to the Lair.

Welcome, welcome, Sarah. I'm so impressed that your titles rhyme (giggle). The NINE, TEN, ELEVEN series sounds delightful. I can see that I'm adding a brilliant new writer to my TBR list.

One of my pleasures (not so secret since I think he's brilliant) is Aaron Sorkin (West Wing writer). I'll watch anything he does!)

Another is Hostess Snoballs (Do you folks have those in Oz, Karen?).

They're out in green now and I must admit they taste better with the green coconut. They're totally caloric, absolutely non-nutritious, and definitely unhealthy. So, of course, I LOVE, LOVE them and eat them in secret LOL.

Lots of weaknesses but none of them secret - their all live and in my face! Books, books, books and reading book blogs! I don't Twitter, Facebook, watch much TV or any of the other techno computer stuff so that leaves tons of time to have my face in a book and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Great post! I would have to say books and the computer is what sucks up my time. I love visiting blogs and facebook. Then again when I get hooked on a book, facebook goes and sometimes the blogs. I love my books.

@Anna Campbell, I did not know about the hotel. If I ever make my way to England that is something I will definetley check out. I'm lucky enough to have a Titanic exhibition here in Orlando that I've been to that is quite interesting. I honestly don't know where my facsination comes from. I started watching programs on it when I was around 5. I just love it.

Oh my! I'm so behind on comments! You guys are *fast*! I blame the Australia/NYC time difference! Thanks so much to the Banditas for having me!

@flchen1 - LOL...I was going to say...if books and chocolate count, my whole life is unfortunately public! I'm with you...a complete email addict here (much to the annoyance of my husband. Actually, most of these weaknesses are problematic for him)!

@Juli - I have never heard of this Bully Beatdown that you speak of. But now... *heads off to Google* ...yep. That's definitely my next obsession.

@brwneyedbeauty & Katrina - so funny that you bring up accents...last night my husband and I were at a birthday party in NYC for a friend, and as we were walking out (the bar was pretty empty by then), Janis Joplin was playing. I turned to my husband and said, "I need to find my Janis Joplin CD." At which point the *adorable* bartender leaned over the bar with a rakish grin and said, "I love Janis Joplin. Don't you?" in the most lovely Irish accent ever. I tried to be cool, but ended up melting and giggling like a schoolgirl.

I loved both Nine and Ten and eagerly await Eleven. I am disappointed to learn that there will not be a Twelve. I was hoping for Benedick's story. Do we learn more about him in Eleven?

My secret weaknesses? Well, I got a box of hand-dipped chocolates yesterday as a gift. They keep calling my name, and I keep answering. I also spend way too much time on blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. Some of my friends see my habit of reading the end of the book first as a serious weakness. ;)

Secret weakness- buying books! I can rarely pass by a book display in a store without buying one. I also come out of our library's used book sales with bags of books. The reason it is a SECRET weakness is that I frequently hide new purchases from my husband.:-0

@Anna - What a great question! I read around in romance...I started (like most of us did, I think) with Johanna Lindsey, Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood & Jude Deveraux, and I reread these four more often than I should probably admit (right now I'm rereading all the McNaughts...no one does tortured groveling endings like her!)

I've already confessed my weakness for Anna Campbell (who just might have been fishing for compliments with that question ;) )...I also love Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, Sophie Jordan, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, JR Ward, Pamela Palmer, Courtney Milan & Elizabeth Hoyt. Interestingly, I tend to love romances that read darker than my own, but yes...I think they all teach me something about my own writing. If I hit a particularly great scene, or great line, I find myself thinking about how the author crafted it...structure, cadence, plotting, etc. And that makes me a better writer (I hope!).

@Linda - I'm with you on video games! I never had them when I was a kid, but my husband and his BFF introduced me to them a few years ago, and the joke is that I'm like a 13 year old boy when I play them. Totally obsessed. SEriously. The consoles have to go on lock down when I'm writing. Good to know I'm not alone!

Holy cow - or rather, holy lamb! That Bourdain photo is just so . . . wrong. And that lamb shank isn't exactly lamb-shaped, if you catch my drift.

Secret weaknesses: Spider solitaire (oh the hours I've spent), Pixie Stix (too many leads to tongue sores, a lesson I re-learn OFTEN), and the movie The Replacements - I will watch it whenever I come across it on TV, from wherever in the movie it happens to be until the end.

@Tam - oh, you and me both! So many piles of non-fiction all over my apartment...and I know I'll never get to them all...but I can't help it!

@Kim in HI - I've got to get my act in gear on Hawaii 5-0 ... I don't watch it, but that Alex is enough to get me recording!

@Cath & romanceaddict - I'm so with you! The internet is such a time suck...I have to turn it off to get real work done!

@Danielle F - I don't know about Cheezels, but I want to. Anna...they were part of the Guest Blogging payment, weren't they? And I totally understand the late night TV thing. I have a problem with the late night infomercials. I end up watching them and convincing myself at 1am that I need a magic squeegee to clean the ceiling. It's a problem.

@Danielle G - Hi! So happy you enjoyed Nine! The titanic is fascinating...I blame it for my fear of cruise ships. Well, that and the Poseidon Adventure!

Hi Christine! *waves in crazy fangirl manner* Thanks for having me, and for saying such nice things about Nine! You're not kidding about short titles. I have trouble remembering them. Seriously. But, yes...I'm lucky that at least mine stand out...I imagine many people go into bookstores and ask for "that romance with the long title with the number in it." LOL.

Oh, Tony Bourdain and his leg of lamb. *sigh*

I love your list of weaknesses! Stationary is a great one! I have that problem myself! And Clive Owen...yummy.

Books, chocolate, tv series like Bones, Numb3rs, Mythbusters (you see what's the theme, here, right?), Inspector Lynley, Pilot Guides (formely called Lonely Planet) and David Attenborough's documentaries. There will be some reruns of some his series here, starting today. Some of my other weaknesses are Off the Mark comics and Suzanne McMinn's blog, Chickens in the Road.

Hey Sarah - I think we may have been RWA signing neighbors. I'm the one with the peacock feathers.

Can I just say WOW! Congrats on selling your first manuscript and then a series in adult romance as well. You rock, girl! Okay secret vices...I'm a suduko addict. I'll play it on the plane, on the phone, in a book, and on loan. (Hehe - my ode to your titles - grin). Seriously, it's one of my favorite ways to procrastinate - that and research. I can easily get lost doing research on my period as it inspires new stories.

@Helen - Thanks so much for the words about Nine! I'm totally with you on Bejewelled...so so so addictive!

@Sheree - Hi! I'm so happy you liked Nine, hope Ten lives up! As for Juliana...it's only been eight months since Nine, so she speaks slightly better English, but is still a bit of a cyclone! I think you'll have fun with it!

@Kirsten - I love your dress obsession! I'm totally stealing this one! Fantastic! And give me a great Camembert and I am in heaven!

@Carol - LOL! I'm glad I could help with your view of Tony...and Lamb.

hmm, weakness. not so secret -- romance novels, sweets, puppy kisses/cuddles. secret weakness, well only if you promise not to tell -- some computer games (time can just disappear when I play some of them), romance novel heroes (I just love them) :)

@PJ - Hi! So good to see you and Gannon over here! Can't wait to hear what you think of Nine & Ten! (Perfect post-voting reading, I hope!) And I'm totally with you on the Romance Blogs! Especially this one and yours!

Hi Sarah and Anna! I'm a TOTAL WW fangrrl and find quotes from that great show still pop into my regular thought/speech life. "No, I divined it," probably tops the list along with "because I think I may have seen a peach," "it's going to be an unbearable day," and "I drink from the cup of glory. Bring me all the muffins and bagels in the land." From memory folks! Here all week.

So excited to hear your writer's journey, Sarah, and to see your phenomenal success bloom and bloom again. Congrats! Am in WIP hell myself, but your titles are in my TBR pile to be devoured when I come up for air. By then, the whole set might be heaving its collective bodices in a restrain Regency manner of course, waiting for me to dive in. Or maybe that's just my bosom heaving. You never know.

@Kiersten - Bring me all the muffins and bagels in the land is one of my very very favorites! And thanks for the compliments on the cover--Avon spoils us...I mean, Anna's MRS cover is RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous! Today B&N is running an interview with me about my covers...if you're interested, you can pop over and read that!

Christine, we both loved Sarah's titles, didn't we? I think they're so clever and they really stand out from the crowd. Yes, we did have a few fan girl moment about Nine Rules. I got Ten Ways in the mail a few days ago - I think there might be more fan girl moments coming up! Your Spencer and Rutherford obsession, by the way, puts mine in the shade.

Sheesh, now people are ordering customised cabana boys? Sheree, what is the world coming to? I've got the Paul Marron edition. Here, try the Clive Owen. He's a little worn since Christine and Christina have had at him (hmm, perhaps it's something to do with that name!).

Sarah your books sound so wonderful, I can't wait to read them.My secret weaknesses are Twitter and reading all my favorite blogs. They suck up my time, but I don't want to miss all the great authors I follow and the authors and books the blogs feature.

Historicals and humor - my two favorite things. I have heard so much about your books - all fantastic. And shame on me for not reading you yet. I love that you say, write what you want to write about. I cannot stand it when "they" say certain books out out. My secret which really isn't is that I spend way too much time on this computer lol.

Hey, PJ and Gannon, thanks for saying you enjoyed the interview! It was such fun talking to Sarah about this stuff!

PJ, it's hard to keep up with all the great blogs, isn't it? I always swing by the Romance Dish to see what you guys have going on even if I don't always comment. Love the Eloisa James piece today! She's a lair favorite too!

Deb, so glad you enjoyed the interview. As I said, I knew Sarah would fit right in here with the wild buddies and the wilder cabana boys (even the ones we've posted to our friends!). And how cool you're already a fan of Sarah's! Sorry, hanging around in the lair is NO WEAKNESS!!! Do you want me to send Demetrius over to give you a good talking-to? ;-)

Scorpio, I hate to buck the trend but I'M WITH YOU!!!! Chocolate I can kinda resist (most of the time). Put a potato chip in front of me and I turn into a madwoman. And of course, one potato chip is NEVAH enough!

Jo, I don't think we have snoballs (compared to lamb balls, oh, stop it!). I'm a bit out of touch with that sort of thing, though. Christine might know better! I don't think we have Twinkies either. Anyone know? Oreos are available here now, I know. So glad you enjoyed the interview!

Ha ha, Emily! Love the idea of crappy sci-fi shows. Actually one of my weakness is UK property shows - certainly not groundbreaking TV either. But I dream of a cottage in Somerset one day! Or perhaps a Regency mansion in London. Or a croft in Scotland. Or...

Danielle, I think the Titanic was one of the first 'historical' things I heard about in school. Must have been grade two or three. I remember thinking even then that it was tempting fate to call a ship 'unsinkable'. Alnwick is fascinating. A really pretty old town and Alnwick Castle was used in the Harry Potter films as Hogwarts. Here's a link to the castle: http://www.alnwickcastle.com/

Here's a link to a Titanic dinner at the hotel. It's called the White Swan. http://www.titanicheritagetrust.org.uk/olympicexp.htm

Janga, do you read the endings first? I hadn't picked that as your weakness! I don't - although I get really cranky if I'm promised a happy ending and I don't get one. Yum to the hand dipped chocolates! Great you're such a fan of Sarah's!

I loved 9 Rules (read it like 4 times already) and I'm waiting for this weekend to read 10 Ways in one long sitting. Now based on what I read--you weren't sure who was Benedick's heroine--does that mean he's a definite hero in your next series? I hope so--I really, really liked him. I also think a short story with the younger sister and how she captured her duke would be fun.

Moi? Fishing for compliments? No, no, no, my lamb! LOL! Yeah, I started with the classics too! Actually I often read lighter than my own books - gives my head a break! You know, I've never read Witches of Eastwick. Really should. You're actually the second recommendation I've seen for it in so many days. Great list, by the way! I'm always interested in who has influenced a writer and I agree with you about learning from the masters!

Sarah, guest blogging present? Food? You've got to be kidding. Anything the Bandits don't eat, the cabana boys snaffle. And they LOVE Cheezels. Actually I often thing Cheezels should glow in the dark, there are so many artificial flavorings in them. But somehow all that artificial stuff ends up being...YUM!!! Especially if you like salt and fat! Which clearly is NOT me!

Minna, I just got Life, the latest David Attenborough series, out on DVD. Fantastic, breathtaking, amazing. The whole kit and kaboodle. I heard a horrible rumor that they were re-voicing his earlier shows with Oprah. I have nothing against Oprah, but WHY?????!!!!!

Sarah, totally seriously, even if I am talking about lamb - is lamb more popular in the States than it was? It's huge here - in fact, it vies to be our national dish. And it's absolutely delicious but I'd heard it's mainly eaten in the Latino community over with you guys.

I heard a horrible rumor that they were re-voicing his earlier shows with Oprah.

Aww, geeze, why would they do that? I recall reading in Attenborough's Life on Air that years earlier they had intended to re-voice his shows with Robert Redford's voice, but luckily, that hadn't worked out.

Hi KS! We like a bit of bosom heaving in the lair. Well, at least the gladiators do - and that's only when Demetrius has a go! He has a serious case of man boobs. He needs to work out a bit more. He had to put elastic in his skirt last week! Good luck with the wip!

Oy, who calling un-classy, MacLean? I'll beat you up once I've finished picking my teeth with this stray gladius I found lying around. Man, we gotta buy some toothpicks! Someone used them up for cocktail olives in the martinis!

Let's see...my secret weaknesses? Coke and vanilla ice cream floats, books(okay, not so secret, that), a good cup of tea(also not so secret), Scrabble, crossword puzzles, high-end perfumes, singing, hats, anything that sparkles, and reading the names of various cosmetic colours(they do come up with the niftiest names!).

Yikes, Well, romance novels. Reading, reviewing, and trying to write as well. I fell in the deep end of the romance pool, considering I never gave the genre a second look for more years than I care to admit!Having loads of fun with it!The other? The Sims game. Deeply involved in that too. TV? I loved FX's Justified, and AMC's Mad Men and Rubicon. BBC Spooks (Richard!!!!)

Pissenlit, it's so easy to laugh at the low depths to which others have sunk. Oh, cruel woman! Lamb porn! Who knew that was my future when I was so young and sweet-faced? And then I got the chop from walking the MUTT-on Sundays and there I was in a (lamb) stew of having to meat the bills! Oh, dear, stop me, stop me!

Oh, seriously, love reading cosmetic names. Lipstick names are absolutely magical. One of my faves from the 80s was a Revlon one called Saharan Sunset! How cool is that? Well, I suspect a real Saharan sunset wouldn't be cool at all but I still think it's a lovely name. Oh, and my going out lipstick back then was Fire and Ice. Doesn't that sound like a romance heroine should wear it?

I absolutely LOVED Nine Rules and I am in love with the idea of Ralston's naughty twin being the fox to so many women's hounds! Tally ho!

I have a weakness (not so secret) for SHOES !! I have far more pairs than I will ever wear, but I just can't help myself.

Another weakness - CSI (the original) marathons. I have the first six seasons on DVD and I have been known to spend an entire Sunday afternoon in bed watching them back to back.

Cameos - I collect them.

The poetry/writings of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester - I love his work, even the most decadent and erotic stuff. The man was an amazing writer and a far more intelligent and philosophical thinker than most people realize.

Oy, Louisa C! I've already had to do my sheepdog act (how many more sheep references can I make before Sarah goes home to bed?). Hmm, perhaps Anthony BAA-dain should have left his lamb at home! Richard is NOT for the hoi polloi!!!! If you ask me nicely, I'll let you hold his hand for five minutes, but THAT'S IT!!!!

@Barbara E - I have a weakness for Twitter myself...as if you couldn't tell...follow me there @sarahmaclean and we can keep each other company!

@catslady - I hope you enjoy them! And as for writing the book you love...people said that light historicals weren't the thing when I was selling Nine Rules...but everything worked out for me!

@Anna - You have to try the SnoBall. It's made of Lord knows what...but it's SO YUMMY.

@Janga - *snicker* ends of books first. You know why I'm laughing. :)

@Victoria - I'm always so happy when someone tells me they reread Nine! I hope 10 lives up to it! I do not have plans for Benedick yet...although I am not discounting him as a hero! And you won't need a short story for Juliana and her Duke...as they get a whole book in April! Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart!

@Anna - Witches of Eastwick is a must read. I'm on my third reading of it...so fun! Of course it's set in my hometown, so that might be some of the appeal, but Updike is so irreverent and sexy! Also, re: lamb...I wouldn't say it's popular, but in the fancy restaurants, it's always on the menu...and super yummy!

@PinkPeony - LOL "George Hamilton Tan!" Hysterical! Yes, that's Tony...gotta love him! And I don't order fish on Monday either! I learned so much from that book!

@Pissenit - Do you think I'll be invited back? What with exposing you all to lamb porn? :)

Sarah,I loved Nine and can't wait to read TEN. Imagine that gorgeous Nicholas thinking he could escape marriage? No way.I'm keeping your books next to darling Anna's on my favourites shelf. Move over Ms Campbell.GRIN!And my biggest weakness is buying every old weird and wacky book I can find becasue I love digging out all the strange historical facts you find in them.Suzi

@Anna why would I stop ewe? All these sheep jokes are shear hilariousness! Say, have you herd the one about...*snicker*Oh, all those mentions of Richard Armitage...have you seen Strike Back? I totally watched that just because he was in it. :D

@ SarahPerhaps you'll be invited back BECAUSE you exposed us all to lamb porn. Bwa ha ha!

Ah, Pissenlit, you've been hanging around the lair too long. OF COURSE we're having Sarah back because she's introduced us to the delights of lamb porn! Must check out the new RA show you told me about!

LOVE the puns. But then I would, wouldn't I? Hate to pull the wool over your eyes! OK, off to have a glass of LAMB-rusco!

Third, I love Snoballs, too! But I love marshmallows in general. On the topic of which, I should go see if I can buy some marshmallow Peeps on sale (now that Halloween is over). They're great for s'mores as the sugar coating caramelizes nicely.

Ooh, Sheree, are Snoballs marshmallow based? Yum! I'll have to check them out next time I'm in the States. I've never seen them here - which doesn't mean they're not around. Good of you to settle for Clive - although you might have some competition there too!

Snoballs are chocolate cake with white cream filling and covered with a layer of marshmallow and coconut (sometimes white but mostly pink). Each Snoball is hemispherical and there are two in each package.

Andrea, another girl addicted to games? I think I'll stick to my resolution not to go near them. Being slightly obsessive compulsive (hmm, no comment, thanks guys!), I just KNOW I'll get hooked and not do anything else! Thanks for swinging by - always lovely to see you.

Julia, LOVELY to see you. The party's still going on here. Walk away from those slumbering cabana boys. There's nothing to see there, folks. Here, have a margarita. I mixed it myself. The gladiators were being a bit too light-handed with the tequila! Mind you, tequila makes the cabana boys take their clothes off!

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September Releases

Still Available

Headlines

Donna MacMeans, Trish Milburn, and Nancy Northcott will all be in Atlanta for the Moonlight and Magnolias conference in Decatur, Georgia September 30 through October 2nd. If you're in the area, stop by for the booksigning. We'd love to see you.

Redeeming the Rogue by Donna MacMeans received a 4.5 star TOP PICK! review from Romantic Times Magazine.

Living in Color by Trish Milburn is now available on Kindle, Smashwords and at barnesandnoble.com for the Nook.